TapitsGal wrote:Firstly it seems like a few stallions are making the trip overseas right now and second does anyone think wee miss Artie will have much success in Kentucky or is he better as a regional sire

I thought he was much better off in a regional market or Canada, where he was. However, I did not check to see how many mares he bred in 2017. He was always going to be a tough sell, though, because he did his best running on synthetic and has some conformation issues that I don't think anything else about him would make people want to overlook. His pedigree would be most kindly described as workmanlike.

I notice that KB is standing nicely...without a stud chain over his nose. He appears to only be wearing a bridle. Maybe the bit is a killer, but he just never seems to have a bad thought in that handsome head of his.
I wonder who the young man is who got the flowers? Was he being given flowers...and then possession of the reins to KB? Was this a handover from his racing team to the stallion management team?

BaroqueAgain1 wrote:
I wonder who the young man is who got the flowers? Was he being given flowers...and then possession of the reins to KB? Was this a handover from his racing team to the stallion management team?

That young man is the handler of Kitasan Black, Mr Yoshiyuki Tsujita who took care of the great horse throughout his racing career. (He looks young, but isn't that young actually. He is 41 years old)

Yoshiyuki Tsujita was presented a bouquet of flowers by the stallion management team who wanted to pay honor to his job.

Yes, and I LOVE that photo. There must be tremendous trust between those two. I'm not sure most people could stand there with their back to a TB stud, letting him rest his chin (and mouth) against their arm...and end up with no tooth marks on their sleeve. Or arm.

BaroqueAgain1 wrote:I notice that KB is standing nicely...without a stud chain over his nose. He appears to only be wearing a bridle. Maybe the bit is a killer, but he just never seems to have a bad thought in that handsome head of his.
I wonder who the young man is who got the flowers? Was he being given flowers...and then possession of the reins to KB? Was this a handover from his racing team to the stallion management team?

He's wearing a Chifney bit (aka anti-rearing bit), which is actually very severe and used to lead horses who rear or who rush/pull. It applies direct tongue pressure in addition to pressure on the bars of the mouth. He is not wearing a bridle, but is wearing a halter with a headslip that the Chifney attaches to.

A headshot of KB where you can see it better.

He may be a well-mannered stallion but he is still very much a stallion and is given due respect.